UTEC Extends Offshore Positioning Through GNSS Disruption

By Olivia Hart

UTEC’s hybrid acoustic-inertial positioning system (a combined acoustic and inertial navigation method) now supports more than 150 km of offshore pipeline installation across two Middle East projects, even when global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals are disrupted or unreliable.

UTEC, part of Acteon, developed the system through its Geo-services business line. The company combined offshore operational expertise with Sonardyne technologies and software. UTEC said the technology enables construction to continue “safely and accurately” where GNSS disruption affects offshore operations.

Why does GNSS disruption affect offshore construction?

UTEC said operators across the Middle East increasingly encounter GNSS interference (signal degradation), denial (signal loss) and spoofing (false positioning signals).

Many operators use GNSS as their primary positioning reference. Accurate positioning supports the safe and efficient execution of many offshore operations, including the construction work covered by the two projects.

When GNSS becomes unavailable or unreliable, operators can lose positioning accuracy. UTEC said that loss can increase risk and affect project schedules. In the worst cases, vessels may be restricted to anchorage until a suitable alternative positioning system becomes available.

For offshore operators, GNSS loss is therefore not merely a lost electronic signal; it can remove the reference needed for safe vessel movement and scheduled construction activity.

In short, loss of GNSS can stop vessels and disrupt construction schedules.

What does the hybrid system change?

The system operates independently of GNSS, allowing operators to maintain accurate navigation when satellite signals are disrupted or unreliable. UTEC achieved this by combining offshore operational expertise with Sonardyne technologies and software.

This configuration gives operators an independent positioning reference during disruption, while allowing GNSS to remain in use alongside inertial positioning whenever satellite service is available.

• When GNSS is available: Operators can use GNSS alongside the inertial positioning system and benefit from both positioning sources.
• When GNSS is disrupted or unreliable: The hybrid acoustic-inertial system provides an independent reference for navigation and offshore construction work.

UTEC did not disclose the system’s hardware configuration, measured position accuracy, update rate or specific operating arrangements for either project. It also gave no commercial terms for the deployment.

In short, the system preserves positioning when satellite signals fail and can use both references when they work.

Where has the system been deployed?

The system now supports two Middle East pipelaying projects covering more than 150 km of pipeline installation.

Two projects and more than 150 km establish an operating deployment, but the disclosure does not establish a regional rollout or quantified performance benchmark.

UTEC did not identify the projects, their operators, vessels, countries, pipeline routes, start dates or completion dates.

UTEC disclosed no vessel count, pipeline diameter, water depth, incident rate or schedule saving. The combined distance does not show how much work each project contributes.

Those omissions limit assessment of the system’s performance and its effect on project schedules. They also leave the duration and operating pattern of the hybrid deployment outside the disclosed scope.

The disclosure nevertheless establishes construction use at project scale, with deployment on two operating projects.

In short, deployment scale is known, but project names and performance results remain undisclosed.

What remains to watch?

UTEC’s statement ties immediate demand to recent geopolitical instability and describes GNSS disruption as becoming “an operational reality” in affected Middle Eastern regions.

That corporate assessment explains the operational urgency, but the disclosure does not quantify how many vessels or projects face disruption. It also does not separate temporary interference from sustained denial or spoofing.

UTEC disclosed no contract value, vessel count or commercialization schedule. Those omissions leave the size of the business opportunity and the pace of broader deployment unquantified.

The technology has a working two-project deployment. Commercial reach and project-level performance remain open questions.

In short, the system addresses a defined operating problem, while its wider commercial scale remains unknown.

Watch item: The next checkpoint is whether either operator releases named-project data, installation milestones and measured positioning performance, which would show whether deployment extends beyond the current two-project scope.